China signs deal for 50 Airbus planes

A delegate gets information from an Airbus booth during the 68th International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting in Beijing June 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING -- China and Germany signed a series of cooperative documents Thursday, including a procurement deal for 50 Airbus planes.

The signing ceremony was attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after both co-chaired the second round of Chinese-German intergovernmental consultations in the morning.

China's ICBC Leasing and Airbus signed the procurement deal for 50 Airbus A320 planes with a worth of $3.5 billion.

The two countries also inked more than 10 other cooperative documents, including an agreement about Airbus plane assembling in China. The documents range from aviation, automobile, communication, energy, environment, health to maritime cooperation.

Merkel arrived in Beijing Thursday morning, kicking off a two-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

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